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Lady Indians get ball rolling

After her team dropped its first three games, Indian River’s head field hockey coach Colleen Groszer had some decisions to make. She rearranged some of her players’ positions, and they’ve responded, winning three straight — including a last-second win over Sussex Tech 2-1 on Sept. 27.

Coastal Point • Ruslana Lambert: Lindsay McCabe dribbles the ball down field.
Groszer swapped senior captain Shawnee Seitz from her right-midfielder position with junior Jordan Warrington’s center-forward position, and pulled Morgan Sheets up from the junior varsity squad, and the results were seen immediately.

Seitz and fellow senior center forward Molly Chamberlin pounded in two goals apiece as a part of Indian River’s 7-1 win over Laurel on Sept. 21 and, since then, their offense has been much more efficient.

Since returning to the team, Seitz has recorded three assists, including one to Chamberlin to tie the game at one apiece against Sussex Tech. She was also one of three players to score in a 4-1 win over St. Thomas More on Sept. 23. Chamberlin scored another, and senior captain Sara Benner mashed the other two.

“Shawnee is key on attack, alongside Benner and Chamberlin. She knows where to place the ball, and Sara [Benner] is in the right place 99 percent of the time. And it showed today,” Groszer said following their win over Sussex Tech.

Groszer noted that Sussex Tech has a fast team with a couple of players who could really push the ball offensively but she encouraged her players to put some pressure on them.

Sussex Tech was able to muster somewhat of an attack with Indian River playing some of its reserves. So, when play stopped, Groszer told Benner, “Get out on the post,” and she did.

Warrington blasted a hard shot on goal and Benner was able to punch it in as time expired.

“It was really chilling,” Groszer said enthusiastically. “We really needed this. Our confidence is up and if we keep playing like we’ve been playing, then there’s nowhere to go but up.”

Switching Seitz and Warrington was an easy decision, according to Groszer, because Seitz, as she already noted, has a great feel for the goal and Warrington played right midfield for a year during travel ball. The move also allows Warrington to use her superior stick skills and athletic ability to get her teammates involved in the offense.

“I just didn’t think she was showing off her skills there [at center forward],” Groszer said. “She has great endurance, is a great player and I’m looking for to use her strong stick skills there. Since moving to right-mid, she’s been on point — constantly on point.”

Warrington has registered two assists and one goal since Groszer jostled the starting lineup around.

Indian River will play Polytech and Lake Forest on the road starting Oct. 3 before hosting Sussex Central on Oct. 10.